I was in the market for a reasonably-priced complete set because I was tired of paying for rental clubs. After a lot of research, I narrowed it down to the Top Flite brand and went with the Top Flite XL 5000 Box Full Set (instead of the Top Flite XL Box Full Set) because of a few reasons mentioned below. As you'll hopefully see by this review, the XL 5000 is definitely worth the extra $50-$100 (the price differential between the two setsdepends on if you buy it on Amazon or on eBay). The XL 5000 set is better than the XL set because it has...
1. 2 More Clubs: The XL 5000 set has all of the same clubs as the XL set (6-9 Irons, PW, 3-Wood, 4 & 5 Hybrids, Driver, Putter) except the XL 5000 *also* has a 5-wood (with cover) and a Sand Wedge. These two additions alone are more than worth the price increase.
2. Better Technology: The drivers for both are nearly identical except for purely aesthetic reasons like color designs (which I think the XL 5000 looks nicer). Both have a 460cc forged driver with graphite Synchro-flex shaft and draw-biased weighting screw. So it's a push with the Driver. However, the Fairway Woods differ between the two sets. The XL 5000 set, which includes a 3-wood AND a 5-wood, has a draw-bias weight screw (like the Driver) which is supposed to help power and consistency. The XL set (which ONLY has the 3-wood) does NOT have a draw-bias weight screw. The Hybrids (4H & 5H) AND the Irons (6-SW) in the XL 5000 set also have this design with the draw-bias screws, and the XL does not. All of the Irons in the XL 5000 actually have dual (two) balance weight screws for "enhanced forgiveness and control in each club" (according to their website). As for the XL set, they do not have this feature. I can't say with certainty this makes a huge difference (because I am a beginner), but I assume it works similar to the physics of "corking" your baseball bat in that it makes the club a little lighter. This means more club speed and thus more power/distance. It also brings me to my next point...
3. Nicer Design: While both sets have a nice silver-black-red color design, the XL 5000 set has mini-diamond plate designs on the backside cavity of the Irons which gives it a fancier/sleeker look than a flat-black background paint job on the XL iron set (Google the pictures to see what I'm talking about). Like I mentioned above in point #2, the draw-bias screws on all of the XL 5000 clubs give it a cooler design that make your clubs look like they do some "serious damage" on the golf course (in a good way). The XL 5000 bag also looks professional and a lot more appropriate for adult males because the design is mostly all black with hints of red and silver as opposed to a half-red and half-black color design of the XL bag that makes it look like it was more appropriate for young kids. Even the head covers also look a little better in my opinion. To sum it up, the XL 5000 set looks like it would cost much more than $250-$300. The XL sadly looks like it would indeed cost only a couple hundred bucks.
4. Nicer Putter: As you know, putting is where the superstar golfers separate themselves from the rookies (like myself). So why not get a nicer putter? I already mentioned you get two extra clubs in the XL 5000 set and get better technology, but the putter is also better than the putter that comes with the XL set. Both are mallet-design putters, but the XL 5000 putter has a "CNC Milled soft face", which gives you a better touch on the greens.
Both sets have a "dual-carry strap" (like a book bag) which is a nice feature that makes it really easy to carry your bag. Both sets also have a rain hood to protect your clubs. There is a ton of storage space and a lot of zippered pockets on the bag. It even has one cooler-lined zippered pocket that allows you fit a couple bottles of beer--ehh, I mean water and soda.
I also had never really used Hybrids before, but the ones in this set are really awesome. In case you don't know what a Hybrid is, it's a mix between an Iron and a Wood. They are similar in size/design to a fairway wood, but with a steeper-angled club face like an Iron. I use them pretty much every hole and usually at every Par-3 hole with deadly accuracy (which is impressive given that I slice with my driver and shank my 3 & 5 Wood pretty often).
My one complaint is that a little bit of the paint on the underside of the driver and hybrids (the part that sweeps the ground when you swing) rubbed off after a few trips to the driving range. I've never had a golf set before so I can't say with certainty that any club would experience this same kind of wear-and-tear, but I guess it's reasonable to expect that swinging a few hundred times on Astroturf would rub off a tiny bit of the paint. Despite this minor complaint, the clubs still look nice after using them about 10 times already at the range and in regular course play. Top-Flite is the "discount brand" of Callaway Golf, so I seriously doubt the clubs will ever have any significant durability issues given that a very reputable company built them.
The XL 5000 set is, without a doubt, worth the extra $50-$100 because you feel like you don't need anything else to complete your golf set and it overall has a more professional look and design.Is this the nicest golf set out there? Absolutely not. But for the price and value of what you get, I have no regrets and highly recommend this set. From what I've read and heard from experienced golfers--unless you are a PGA pro or a competitive college athlete, you really don't need to spend a ton of money getting the "best" golf gear. It's mostly superstition, which I guess when it comes to such a mentally frustrating activity as golfing, it could be really important to some people to spend their retirement money on Callaway, Nike, and TaylorMade. I'll just stick with these Top Flites. The XL-5000 set is the perfect beginner/starter golf set for teens, young adults, and old timers alike.
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Top Flite XL 5000 Box Full SetProduct Description: Looking for a good introductory set while you learn the ins and outs of the game? Look no further than the Top Flite XL 5000 18-piece golf set, which includes everything you need to hit the links in confidence.
The XL 5000 set comes with a driver, 2 fairway woods, 2 hybrids, 6 irons, a putter, a bag, head covers, and a rain hood . The woods' draw-biased weighting system favors golfers with natural slices. The XL 5000 starts with a 460cc forged driver, which boasts a draw-biased weight screw, a huge sweet spot, and a Synchro-flex graphite shaft. The features combine to produce a driver with outstanding distance and accuracy, a must for golfers of all skill levels. The draw-biased weight screw is a particularly handy feature for beginners, who tend to have natural slices built into their swings. The set's two stainless-steel fairway woods (3-wood and 5-wood), meanwhile, also include draw-biased weight screws, but with the addition of True Temper steel shafts for consistent shot making. And rather than long irons, the set includes easy-to-hit 4- and 5-hybrids, which help you hit better shots from a variety of lies.
The set also includes six perimeter-weighted stainless steel irons: a 6-iron, 7-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge. Each perimeter-weighted stainless-steel iron features a deep undercut cavity back and dual-balanced weight screws for a lower and deeper center of gravity (CG), producing enhanced forgiveness and control. And once you hit the green, the set's CNC-milled, soft-face, mallet-ring putter takes over. The putter offers a high moment-of-inertia (MOI) design and an alignment stripe, providing improved accuracy on the greens and a consistent roll. The set concludes with an ultra-lightweight, durable stand bag with a padded dual carrying strap, five head covers, and a rain hood.
About Top-Flite Top-Flite Golf began in 1895 as part of A.G. Spalding & Bros., and has evolved into a major subsidiary of Callaway Golf, the largest golf company in the world. Since the company's inception in North America, Top-Flite has been a technological pioneer in the golfing industry. The company's history of innovation began more than 100 years ago with the release of the Wizard, America's first golf ball. The Wizard featured a rubber core with a crack-resistant cover that incorporated a distinctive bramble raised-dot pattern. Since then, Top-Flite has been responsible for nearly every major innovation of the modern rubber-core golf ball, including the first ball with dimples, the first ball to use compression ratings as a means of determining ball hardness, the first wound ball with a liquid center, and the first ball (much later) with a tungsten energy core. The company also produces a line of matched club sets for adult and youth players.
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Since I love my 3, 4 and 5 hybrids thought I'd try a 6. Gives me the height I wanted but less distance then I expected.
